The Difference between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber
Let’s face it: your body needs a variety of nutrients, fats, oils, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and nutrients. The type of food we put into our body impacts the way we feel, and most importantly, the way it functions. Fiber is a key player in our health. It helps to promote not only gut health, but is also a factor in reducing the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases.
Fiber comes from plant-based foods and pushes through the digestive system, helping to absorb water and regulate your bowel moments. There are two types of fiber that play a role in our digestive health: soluble and insoluble—and both play an important role in cleaning your digestive tract from the inside out.
Soluble Fiber
Soluble fiber attracts water and transforms it into a gel-like lining during the digestion process. It binds with fatty acids and prolongs the stomach-emptying stage that helps you stay full longer, slowing down the digestion process.
Soluble fiber can also be found in oat bran, barley, nuts, seed, legumes, and beans. Adding a scoop of natura fiber to any of these foods when cooking gives you an extra boost of benefits.
Insoluble Fiber
The other type of fiber is insoluble, which helps food pass quickly through your intestines by adding more bulk. It also controls the pH level in your body. Insoluble fiber can be found in a variety of foods, such as wheat bran, whole grains, vegetables, soy, fruits.
It‘s important to have a balance of both types of fiber in your diet to promote regularity and reap the rewards of the other health benefits discussed above.